The relationship between deprivation, ethnicity and dental health in 5-year-old children in Leeds, UK.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between material deprivation, ethnicity, dental health and related behaviour in the five-year-old population of Leeds.

DESIGN

Analytical survey using a stratified cluster sample of primary schools and a questionnaire to parents. Children were assigned to one of five bands according to the ranking of the Townsend deprivation index for the census enumeration district in which they lived. Standard clinical criteria were used.

SETTING

Clinical examinations were carried out in school by four trained and calibrated examiners.

PARTICIPANTS

Two thousand six hundred and seventy seven children were examined and 1881 parental questionnaires were returned (70 per cent response).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Caries experience expressed as mean dmft.

RESULTS

Caries experience increased significantly with deprivation. Deprivation gradients were found in reported dental visiting, parental dental attendance and use of the Community Dental Service. Differences in caries experience between ethnic groups were independent of deprivation score with Asian children from the most deprived districts having a higher mean dmft than their white Caucasian and Afro-Caribbean counterparts (4.80, 3.21, 2.00; P < 0.001). Muslim Asians had significantly higher (P < 0.001) caries experience (dmft = 4.63) than non-Muslim Asians (dmft = 2.08) and the difference was maintained when the effect of deprivation was controlled (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The Townsend index is a useful indicator of dental health and related behaviour among populations but does not explain variations between ethnic groups.